The One Word That Could Negate Your Travel Insurance Coverage

A nationally recognized reporter, writer, and consumer advocate, Ed Perkins focuses on how travelers can find the best deals and avoid scams.

He is the author of "Online Travel" (2000) and "Business Travel: When It's Your Money" (2004), the first step-by-step guide specifically written for small business and self-employed professional travelers. He was also the co-author of the annual "Best Travel Deals" series from Consumers Union.

Perkins' advice for business travelers is featured on MyBusinessTravel.com, a website devoted to helping small business and self-employed professional travelers find the best value for their travel dollars.

Perkins was founding editor of Consumer Reports Travel Letter, one of the country's most influential travel publications, from which he retired in 1998. He has also written for Business Traveller magazine (London).

Perkins' travel expertise has led to frequent television appearances, including ABC's "Good Morning America" and "This Week with David Brinkley," "The CBS Evening News with Dan Rather," CNN, and numerous local TV and radio stations.

Before editing Consumer Reports Travel Letter, Perkins spent 25 years in travel research and consulting with assignments ranging from national tourism development strategies to the design of computer-based tourism models.

Born in Evanston, Illinois, Perkins lives in Ashland, Oregon with his wife.

With travel insurance coverage (and any other kind of insurance coverage) the devil is in the details—more specifically, the fine print. And one word can make a huge difference in your risk coverage: “unforeseen.”

The ‘Gotcha’ Word in Your Travel Insurance Coverage

But the word “unforeseen” in your travel insurance plan can nullify that additional coverage you’ve purchased, which takes effect only if you are medically able to travel at the time you buy the insurance. If a pre-existing condition would prevent you from traveling at the time you buy the insurance, you won’t be covered for any issues that stem from that condition. You can’t figure, “I’ll get over it,” or “I’ll cope,” and must be able to travel upon purchasing the insurance.

A typical policy allows you to travel with a pre-existing condition that’s under control thanks to medication—but it must be fully controlled when you buy the insurance. If you can’t live with that uncertainty, buy a “cancel for any reason” policy, but read the fine print before you do.

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In many cases, people with chronic medical problems can’t insure their trips risk-free. If you’re in that position, you can minimize your risk by making all of your arrangements refundable or cancellable, with only minimal penalties.

The “unforeseen” limitation appears in most travel insurance coverage policies, and can also come back to bite you in circumstances other than pre-existing medical conditions.

Say, for example, you’re considering a trip to Florida, and at the time you make arrangements, a named tropical storm is already developing in the eastern Atlantic. If it becomes a hurricane and hits Florida, is it “unforeseen,” or not? Here, my friends in the travel insurance business tell me, the answer isn’t clear. Some policies would cover cancellation; others might not. The same is true for similar possible areas of unforeseen problems like political unrest, terrorism, and strikes.

The risk is fairly clear for medical pre-existing conditions. But for many more ambiguous contingencies, your best bet is to contact one of the big online travel insurance agencies and ask for a policy that will cover whatever specifics risks are of concern to you.

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Consumer advocate Ed Perkins has been writing about travel for more than three decades. The founding editor of the Consumer Reports Travel Letter, he continues to inform travelers and fight consumer abuse every day at SmarterTravel.

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